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Just came back from a 3000 mile trip and my engine is full of salt residue what's a proper way to clean it without damaging parts? Or should I take it to the dealer so they can do it ? 2012 civic si sedan

The best way would be to do it when the engine cold. Like in the morning or after its been sitting for 3+ hours.
Cover the fuse box with a plastic bag or something. Use a non degreaser product or car wash soap. Try and stay away from the fuse box area as much as you can. After your done leave the hood open and allow it to dry for a couple hours before you start it.

Your best bet is take it to the coin-op car wash. Use a high pressure wand but keep it moving around. Don't stop or dwell on any spot. They use the least amount of water and the high pressure plus air movement are what do the job. Take a brush to help it along if necessary. The hose at the house relies on a lot of water to do the job. Too much water and it can creep not areas where you don't want it. Especially n the wintertime where you don't have the warm sun to help you out. The car wash when used carefully will allow you to restart the car and blow it out while driving because you aren't putting any more water on the engine than you do when driving in the rain.

I've always cleaned the engines in my cars with GUNK engine degreaser. I let the car idle in the street with the hood up. Spray the soap solution heavily all around and let it work for 15 minutes or so. I then use the garden hose to wash off everything keeping the engine running all the time. I don't let the hose dwell on any one point and I do stay away from the fuse box. I don't do it in the winter, so this may not be worthwhile. I recently did the engine room in my P5 and used a fairly strong mix of laundry detergent in a spray bottle and it worked pretty well considering the car hasn't had the engine cleaned in a while. If I really had to do this in the winter, I'd take it to the nearby "quarter" car wash to do the rinse off.

During the winter season and cold temperatures I don't bother with cleaning the engine bay. Once the warmer weather rolls around I use Gunk Engine Degreaser on a cool engine. Once the Gunk penetrates for ~15 minutes I quickly rinse the engine bay then let the car sit in the sun with the hood open.

I don't think you want to have the car running while wetting it with cool or cold water. Ever see what happens when you take a hot solid and put it in cool or cold liquid? Crack Snapple pop. Lol
Ultimately its your choice. I've always done it in the morning after the Car sat over night.
As far as soap is concerned, you can use any kind really. NO DISH SOAP THOUGH. That stuff will peal your clear coat. Lol

I had a couple of instances of cleaning an engine cold and not being able to start it afterwards. Never had any probs hosing off an running one. I've never had an issue spraying water on a warm engine. You are not immersing the entire thing in water. The hot engine quickly evaporates the little water that gets sprayed on it. After all, you drive a hot engine through rain, and even puddles, with no damage. I clean my lawn mower after cutting the lawn to wash out the underside and hose off the running engine. A one cylinder aluminum engine is a lot smaller and doesn't have hot coolant running through it. The mower is nine years old and has suffered no ill effects from its weekly hosing.

What do you use to cean your Engine Bay?

What is a good product/soap to use to clean our engine bay? I know some people use Armor All to keep the rubber/plastic parts shiny but I'm not sure if that degrades the rubber/plastic or not? I don't want to pressure wash it because I don't believe that is a good idea? What do you guys use?

What is a good product/soap to use to clean our engine bay? I know some people use Armor All to keep the rubber/plastic parts shiny but I'm not sure if that degrades the rubber/plastic or not? I don't want to pressure wash it because I don't believe that is a good idea? What do you guys use?

Use a good concentrated degreaser and dilute in h20 at a 1:1 ratio.let sit and hose off with a nozzle like a jet stream BUT not a pressure washer.
Then get yourself some good waterbased tire shine stuff and spray under your hood everywhere.
You don't want to use ANY silicone or solvent based tire dressing.it'll harden hoses and belts and plastics.
Look I use a product called BLUE LUSTRE from Productions car care.used it for years and its really good.and very cheap for the qty.
As far as store bought I don't think you'll find a good dressing that won't damage under the hood.
That is waterbased.

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